Nightingale courts to stay open for another year
Nottinghamshire Live, Civil Service World, Solicitors Journal, New Law Journal and the Gazette continue coverage of the Ministry of Justice announcing that a handful of nightingale courts will stay open for another year in England and Wales amid efforts to cut case backlogs.
Law Society president Nick Emmerson said: “The huge backlogs in our criminal courts are causing unacceptable delays for victims, witnesses and defendants and any extra capacity to deal with them is welcome.
“Last month, the Lady Chief Justice highlighted that there were 100 unplanned closures of courtrooms every week due to the dilapidated physical state of our courts. We hear the same story from our members, who often work in courts with broken heating, sewage, mould and asbestos.
“The most pressing issue is there are not enough lawyers, court staff or judges to cover all the outstanding cases. If no immediate action is taken, courts will be even less able to cope, with potentially damaging consequences for society. A significant injection of funding is urgently needed to prevent this collapse.”
Probate enquiry phone lines
Wales Online continues coverage of the ongoing delays in the probate system.
Law Society president Nick Emmerson said we have been aware of “significant delays” in the probate service for some time.
“We recognise efforts by HMCTS in reducing delays and cautiously agree with the temporary reduction of probate inquiry line opening hours in order to address a forecasted peak in applications.
“However, we have long highlighted concerns around the performance and level of expertise of staff. There needs to be sustained improvement in the probate service. Without a new level of staffing, the change in probate inquiry line opening hours will be in vain and our members’ clients will continue to suffer.”
CPS struggling to recruit
Legal Futures covers a report by the Criminal Justice Joint Inspection, which shows that a quarter of the 180 pupil barristers who joined the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) trainee scheme between 2016 and 2022 left within 12 months of qualifying.
Law Society president Nick Emmerson said: “Defence lawyers are leaving the profession in their droves due to decades of underfunding and low legal aid rates. The report recognises that fewer people are choosing a career in criminal law and that both the CPS and defence are an ageing workforce.
“Given that the CPS recruits to a significant degree from the defence community, the lack of lawyers choosing a career in criminal defence is shutting off the pipeline of future prosecutors, to the detriment of the entire criminal justice system.
“Urgent action is needed to incentivise young recruits to go into criminal law by sustainably funding the profession.”
LSB publishes report on regulators’ performance
Today’s Conveyancer, Today’s Wills & Probate, Today’s Family Lawyer and the Gazette cover the Legal Services Board’s (LSB) Regulatory Performance Assessment report, which was published today.
Law Society president Nick Emmerson said: “Having confidence in our regulator is important for the rule of law. Both the legal profession and the public need to be assured that legal regulation is robust for the judicial system to operate effectively. It is therefore good to see the progress the SRA has made as it continues to maintain its ‘sufficient’ assessment rating.
“In May the SRA took over the management of the Solicitors Indemnity Fund, demonstrating a commitment to maintaining high professional standards and long-term consumer protections.
“While the report shows progress being made, it does also recognise that the SRA’s intervention in Axiom Ince and the LSB’s subsequent review into the regulator's actions leading up to it, have not been accounted for as part of the assessment.
“If the LSB’s review were to identify any failings by the SRA before the intervention, it would be appropriate for the ratings given to the SRA to be reviewed.”
Building Safety Act 2022 guide
The Gazette runs an in-depth feature about the residential conveyancing market and cites our new guide we published to help members involved in flat sales and purchases understand the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022).
Law Society president Nick Emmerson said the guidance “will help solicitors make sense of the improvements to the legislation that have been made since it was first introduced.”
Pre-nups and divorce
The Good Men Project reports about getting a pre-nup before getting married.
It cites our assertion that pre-nups hold up in court relatively well.
Also worth a read:
- Post Office: Ex-chairman stands by claims Tories told him to stall compensation for victims – Sky News
- Cameron government knew Post Office ditched Horizon IT investigation – BBC News
- Actor Toby Jones ‘immensely proud’ of the impact of ITV Post Office drama – BBC News
- Safety of Rwanda Bill is an abuse of the rule of law, says Amnesty International – Guardian
- MP says he can guarantee Rwanda flights will take off before election – Independent, Daily Mail & the Sun
- Cyber breaches at law firms up 36% in a year – Legal Futures
- Home Office rejects changes to SARs regime – Legal Futures